With Orochimaru's defection and Jiraiya leaving Konoha to chase down his old friend, the village had suddenly lost two Kage-level fighters. It was a devastating blow.
Starting from the Nine-Tails' attack, Konoha had already suffered heavy losses—Minato Namikaze, the Fourth Hokage, the Nine-Tails' jinchūriki Kushina Uzumaki, and countless other shinobi had died.
Now, one of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru, had turned traitor. Jiraiya had left the village to pursue him. That left only Kiyosuke and Hiruzen Sarutobi holding down the fort. Konoha was at its weakest point in decades.
And at that exact moment...
Kumogakure sent a request—to sign a peace treaty.
The Third Shinobi World War had seen all the major villages join forces to attack Konoha. Once those conflicts ended, it marked the conclusion of the war.
But one village still hadn't signed a peace treaty with Konoha—Kumogakure, those war-hungry brutes.
They had kept their forces stationed at the border of the Land of Fire all this time, watching Konoha like hungry wolves. This sudden request for peace clearly reeked of ulterior motives. No one could guess what they were truly after.
But Kumogakure had also exhausted itself in its standoff with Iwagakure. The village wasn't what it used to be back when the Third Raikage was still around. The war had taken its toll on them too.
Konoha couldn't afford to fight another battle. Keeping troops stationed for so long, feeding both people and animals, was draining resources fast. So the Fourth Raikage had made the call to pursue peace.
Of course, what that musclehead was really thinking—nobody knew.
Hiruzen Sarutobi remained impassive.
This time, Konoha had truly been hurt. The military advantage they had gained in the Third War was fading. Their edge over the other villages was shrinking. With so many experienced shinobi dead, the Fourth Hokage and his wife gone, Orochimaru defecting, and Jiraiya leaving, Konoha's prestige had plummeted.
Kumogakure's request for a peace treaty meant avoiding another war, which made Hiruzen breathe a little easier. To show goodwill, he brought Kiyosuke along and summoned all the clan heads of Konoha to attend the event.
Except... none of the Hyūga showed up that day.
"Fugaku-san, where's Hiashi-san?" Kiyosuke yawned as he asked Uchiha Fugaku beside him.
Fugaku replied,
"I heard it's the Hyūga heiress's third birthday today. The entire clan is celebrating, so none of them came."
Oh boy.
Kiyosuke glanced over—and sure enough, the old man's face didn't look too pleased.
Hiruzen Sarutobi might look gentle and kind on the outside, with a spotless reputation... but deep down, he was ruthless. You didn't cling to the Hokage seat for decades by being soft.
The Hyūga Clan was in trouble.
During the Third War, the Hyūga had contributed greatly. Their military achievements were exceptional. But those very accomplishments had blinded them. At this sensitive time, they'd made the wrong choice.
Kiyosuke shook his head. He recalled something: on the surface, Kumogakure claimed to want peace—but in truth, they had their eyes on the Hyūga's Byakugan.
Only the main family of the Hyūga possessed the Byakugan. That meant their target this time was none other than three-year-old Hinata.
He shook his head again.
Better stay on guard tonight.
"They're here."
A group of shinobi arrived—dark-skinned, heavily built, dressed in Kumogakure attire, and all wearing the village's forehead protectors. Just looking at them, you could tell they weren't to be messed with. Their expressions were defiant and arrogant.
Kiyosuke snorted.
The air around him instantly grew hotter.
The leader stepped forward and said,
"As expected of the man known as the 'Arsonist.' With you here, Konoha still stands tall. Hokage-sama, Konoha truly deserves to be called the victor."
"Haha, this kid's a bit hot-tempered. Kiyosuke, they're guests from afar—don't be rude," Hiruzen Sarutobi said with a chuckle.
"It's nothing. I just saw they were dressed too lightly. Thought I'd warm things up a bit."
As he spoke, the temperature rose again.
The Kumogakure leader responded,
"No need to worry. Our bodies are quite resilient—we won't freeze. Kiyosuke-sama, please stand down."
"Oh? Are you trying to teach me how to do my job?"
Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes, killing intent radiating from him.
The man was instantly at a loss for words. He coughed awkwardly and forced a smile.
"Of course not. I wouldn't dare."
"Hmph."
The temperature dropped abruptly.
The Kumogakure shinobi began sweating profusely. Whether from the heat or sheer terror, it was hard to say.
"Alright, come with us," Hiruzen Sarutobi waved his hand. He was quite pleased with Kiyosuke's little display of power.
That small show had immediately crushed Kumogakure's arrogance and gave Konoha the upper hand. Now, the timing, terrain, and people all favored Konoha in this negotiation.
The rest was no longer any concern of the clan heads.
Both sides engaged in what could only be called a "friendly and open exchange." They shared "thoughtful opinions" and "laid the foundation for peaceful development between Konoha and Kumogakure."
Yep—Kiyosuke just sat in the room the entire time, silently watching over the negotiations. With a demon like him there, the Kumogakure representatives didn't dare step out of line. They obediently signed the treaty. After all, no one felt comfortable with a killing machine staring them down.
Hiruzen Sarutobi accepted the peace treaty with a smile. This was a major win, and it solved one of his biggest headaches. He felt a great weight lift from his heart.
Even the look he gave the Kumogakure shinobi was a little kinder now.
"Old man, anything else? If not, I'm heading home."
"Mm. Thank you for today. Go get some rest."
Hiruzen nodded. As expected, bringing Kiyosuke along had been the right decision.
Kiyosuke stretched lazily. Listening to all that back-and-forth between Hiruzen and the Kumogakure delegation had given him a headache. He needed food—and maybe he'd take Naruto out for a stroll.
...
"Kiyosuke-san, I want ramen!"
Back at home, Naruto was playing with his toys. The moment he saw Kiyosuke return, he shouted eagerly.
Kiyosuke twitched.
So young and already asking for ramen? What would he be like when he grew up? If he'd known this would happen, he wouldn't have taken the kid there in the first place.
"Alright. Where's Rin?"
"Rin-chan went out. She said she'll be back later and told me to play here alone!"
"Hey, hey, why do you call me 'san' but call Rin 'chan'? Do I look that old?"
He pulled at Naruto's chubby cheeks. But Naruto didn't cry—he just said,
"Because Rin-chan is pretty!"
"You little brat! What, I'm not handsome? All my effort raising you for nothing!"
"Liar! It's Mama Mikoto!"
He was only three, but Naruto already spoke fluently and could even make snappy comebacks.
This kid was definitely picking up bad habits!
"Where'd you learn to talk like that, huh?"
"From you!" Naruto answered without hesitation.
"Ah, seriously..."
"You brat! You only learn the bad things! Bah! No ramen for you!"
"Nooo! Kiyosuke-san, I'm sorry!" Naruto cried, tugging at Kiyosuke's clothes.
"I want ramen!"
"Fine!"
"..."
After tidying up the toys, Naruto climbed onto Kiyosuke's shoulders, happily riding along as they headed to Ichiraku Ramen for dinner.
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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